We Speak Common

This week we delve into Artifacts of the Old World and some of the mental magic items you can get your hands on! Plus what story beats you could use with them. We've also got 2 digital copies to give away, just head over to twitter to get involved Didn't hear the one thing that'll get your creative brain going? let us know: Find us on twitter: @WeSpeakCommon Email us at wespeakcommon@hotmail.com V...

This week we're talking about how to make weapons more meaningful in D&D 5e. We'll be looking at Reddit User u/TheGentlemanDM 's suggestions and why they are brilliant for adding some extra depth to you D&D game.  Didn't hear the one thing that'll get your creative brain going? let us know: Find us on twitter: @WeSpeakCommon Email us at wespeakcommon@hotmail.com Visit us online at htt...

This week we'll talk about how to get your players to say more than just, "I hit it with my sword". We'll go through a few ways to make abilities feel fun and exciting and a little bit different every time they are used.  We also celebrate the release of our brand new website! You'll be able to listen to the entirety of our back log from the comfort of your browser OR download then for offline lis...

This week we'll be diving into the world of sea fairing adventures. How to run and play in a ship based campaign. What things you need to think about when world building, and some tips and tricks for creating that world. Plus we'll talk about the beauty of the open sea and it's hidden treasures! At the end of this episode we'll also touch on Murder Mystery adventures and how to run them.  Did...

This week we're talking about how to cope when your players inevitably ask for something that has no thought or planning behind it at all. Improvisation and how to pull it off well. We'll also be joined by a surprise guest, a player from our own table, while talking a bit more about crafting and editing spells.  Didn't hear the one thing that'll get your creative brain going? let us know: Find us...

This week we talk all about the planes of existence and how to use them in your games, from full plane hopping campaigns to small inclusions in low level adventures.  Didn't hear the one thing that'll get your creative brain going? let us know: Find us on twitter: @WeSpeakCommon Email us at wespeakcommon@hotmail.com Music: "Street Dancing" by Timecrawler 82 From the Free Music Archive CC by N...

This week Ben talks about his new rule system for Spell crafting in 5th edition. We'll put the rules into practice and craft a couple of spells and take a break in the middle to tackle a listener topic on running lethal villains. As we as talk about whether you should have a player run your big bad. Didn't hear the one thing that'll get your creative brain going? let us know: Find us on twitter: @...

This week, struggling against the bad choices of the night before, Ben and Joe talk all about organising your cities within your world. We'll be talking about the different ways we've dealt with city organisation in different games and settings over the years.  Didn't hear the one thing that'll get your creative brain going? let us know: Find us on twitter: @WeSpeakCommon Email us at wespeakc...

This week we're having a relaxed chat about our current game and how it's currently all downtime. Find out about Kouri the Locksmith and hear how Ben is getting the characters to feel at home in Waterdeep. Didn't hear the one thing that'll get your creative brain going? let us know: Find us on twitter: @WeSpeakCommon Email us at wespeakcommon@hotmail.com Music: "Street Dancing" by Timecrawler 82 F...

This week we answer a triplet of listener question and have a nice chat about combining adventures with through lines, running unique PC's and how to foster diversity in your group as a DM. And how to change monsters in a new unique way.  Didn't hear the one thing that'll get your creative brain going? let us know: Find us on twitter: @WeSpeakCommon Email us at wespeakcommon@hotmail.com Music...

This week we tackle player agency and recurring villains. It's tricky, how do you introduce a villain and guarantee they'll live to return later? Can you? We'll get into to it all this week on We Speak Common. Didn't hear the one thing that'll get your creative brain going? let us know: Find us on twitter: @WeSpeakCommon Email us at wespeakcommon@hotmail.com Music: "Street Dancing" by Timecrawler...

This week we're tackling those problematic spells. An obvious high level trouble maker, and a few lower leveled ones that you may want to be prepared for when they creep up to your table!  Didn't hear the one thing that'll get your creative brain going? let us know: Find us on twitter: @WeSpeakCommon Email us at wespeakcommon@hotmail.com Music: "Street Dancing" by Timecrawler 82 From the Free...

Its a Boxing Day special! Santa has been and left us loads of magic items, so we're going to talk about how to implement them into your game. How to keep them balanced and how to customise what Santa didn't get quite right.  Didn't hear the one thing that'll get your creative brain going? let us know: Find us on twitter: @WeSpeakCommon Email us at wespeakcommon@hotmail.com Music: "Street Danc...

After looking at too many maps, Ben wants to talk about the best ways to fill in the blank space between settlements. There's a delve into Random Encounters and how they can help and hinder your players experience.... and a bit of madness.  Didn't hear the one thing that'll get your creative brain going? let us know: Find us on twitter: @WeSpeakCommon Email us at wespeakcommon@hotmail.com Mus...

You asked for it on twitter... So here we go! We'll plan the bare bones information we (and you) will need to run a fun rogue-like/metroidvania game set in the hectic and fatal wizard's school of Warthog. Good luck students, and don't get killed... or worse, expelled!  Didn't hear the one thing that'll get your creative brain going? let us know: Find us on twitter: @WeSpeakCommon Email us at...

This week we're talking about how you can run and play Villainous PC's. We'll tell you our tips on how to pull it off in an effective way and what some of the pit fulls are! Didn't hear the one thing that'll get your creative brain going? let us know: Find us on twitter: @WeSpeakCommon Email us at wespeakcommon@hotmail.com Music: "Street Dancing" by Timecrawler 82 From the Free Music Archive CC by...

This week we're tackling a number of listener submitted questions and topics including; attacks of opportunity, hazardous environments and weather. We'll also go through our experience's trying out a Star Wars TTRPG; Joe will talk about how he thinks it offers more free form play, while Ben points out how that's achievable in many systems including 5e.     Didn't hear the one thing that'll get you...

This week we're talking about how to manage personal character arcs, while keeping your players on track and interested in the main story. This is something we're really into, so hopefully you can gain some inspiration from this episode. This topic was suggested by a listener to our email, if you've got something you want to hear us discuss, get in touch! Didn't hear the one thing that'll get your...

We've touch on scaling a few times over the last year and a bit. Today we're focusing on it outright. Here's ways you can take published combat and effectively scale it up to be a tougher challenge, or down to be a bit easier. Didn't hear the one thing that'll get your creative brain going? let us know: Find us on twitter: @WeSpeakCommon Email us at wespeakcommon@hotmail.com Music: "Street Dancing...

This week we talk about those pesky resting rules and new alternative you can use that a listener sent in! Didn't hear the one thing that'll get your creative brain going? let us know: Find us on twitter: @WeSpeakCommon Email us at wespeakcommon@hotmail.com Music: "Street Dancing" by Timecrawler 82 From the Free Music Archive CC by NC

This week we take an extra deep dive into a brand new adventure for Dungeons and Dragons by the names behind some of the highest-rated roleplaying video games of all time: Baldur's Gate 1 & 2, Neverwinter Nights, Dragon Age: Origins, Mass Effect 1 & 2, Star Wars: The Old Republic and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. We'll have a spoiler free look at what you can expect in this epic...

This week Joe recounts the epic build up Ben laid out for his party as they tracked a dragon.  We'll give our tips on how to build up to a dragon encounter. Tips on how to set the theme and tones, encounters for a long the way and how to make a dragon feel actually scary! Didn't hear the one thing that'll get your creative brain going? let us know: Find us on twitter: @WeSpeakCommon Email us...

This week we're joined by our friends at The World Forge to talk about finding inspiration for our D&D games. We'll talk about how we take and adapt things from pop culture, media and real life and transpose them into our games. Where to look for that spark to light the imagination and we'll give some of the silliest things we've take and put in our worlds. Find WorldForge below: Spotify: http...

This week we take a look at the brilliant Svilland 5e campaign setting by the guys at Dream Realm Storytellers. We'll talk about the setting, the races it offers, the two new classes, awesome magic items, monsters and new mechanics! We'll even give some of our ideas for running a Norse themed adventure in Svilland. Dream Realms Storytellers have kindly given us 5 digital copies of the book to give...

This week we go over our ever lasting problem of making a Oneshot longer than One Shot! We'll talk about how to craft a one shot, what thoughts and preparations you need to make to keep it to one session, but still in depth and full of narrative goodness. We also Celebrate ONE YEAR! Of We Speak Common, it's been a journey and we've loved every second of it. Didn't hear the one thing that'll get yo...